Slip Up
by Flaming Platinum
Summary: [Pre-canon] Kousei knew those little lies he told would eventually appear. He just didn't think that they would appear now.


**Odd quote formatting, I know. But the first quote describes the beginning, and the second one what happens afterwords. (You know, with this fic, they both just fit together, and I knock off stuff from my challenges this way.)**

* * *

_"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." ― Mark Twain_

-0-0-0-

Kousei lightly tapped his fingers on the keyboard, filling in the necessary paperwork for his job. If there was one thing that he was happy for, aside from his little soon-to-be complete family, it was the computer. It made filling in what was required for his job much easier and less stressful, which was needed. There was already enough stress in his life.

And it also made Kouji's little routine easier. While there was nothing wrong with his reading ability, he just couldn't read the messy handwriting Kousei possessed, despite writing in a mixture of messy and neat.

Speaking of his little routine, it started just as Kousei finished the first page of his paper.

Instead of standing on his tip-toes and trying to read the little that he could, Kouji simply plopped down on the floor, allowing his shoulder-length hair to catch some air.

Kousei had to chuckle at this. Since he knew for sure that Kouji wasn't lazy, it was odd that he'll stick to sitting down on the floor. Unless he had been playing a lot in the other room… but even then he'd still stand up, or at least try to.

But it didn't bother him much. Kouji was still that break from bleak work with that little, complex mind of his. It must be the gift of being young.

"What happened to Mommy?"

Kousei looked down to where Kouji was in shock. While Kouji has asked a couple of questions about his…deceased mother, this one never popped up.

"I…told you this already," Kousei responded, trying to look away from those demanding eyes. It was hard to explain this to a five year old, and especially since it was a topic too mature for him.

"But what was it that… that…"

Kousei mentally chuckled at his son's struggle for a word that was better than 'killed'.

"That sent her away?" Kouji asked, finally coming up with an alternative. "I don't want the same thing to take you too, Daddy…" His eyes dropped down to the floor. "You're the only family I have left…"

Right that moment, Kousei picked up Kouji and plopped him on his lap. It was sad for him to see his son say such things, especially since that moment was very heartbreaking…

"If only she would see you now," Kousei said while stroking Kouji's hair.

"What do you mean by 'would see you'?" Kouji asked, his blue eyes growing wider. "Do you mean that she's…"

Kouji was too young to believe in ghosts and spirits, or anything of the sort, which meant that he couldn't be trailing off because he was in his own little theory about ghosts and such. Kousei had to mentally smack himself for that.

The conclusion that Kouji was going to come up with was that Tomoko was alive. And that was a bad thing.

It was too tricky to describe divorce to a five year old, or even the conditions of it. Because then _that _secret would leak out and…

"Does that mean she doesn't love me?" Kouji asked, not bothering to look up.

"She does," Kousei responded, trying to get Kouji to look at him. But to no avail. The little kid just wouldn't bother.

"But then why?"

"There were just some complications," Kousei responded, trying to reassure Kouji that there wasn't anything wrong with him. Just that there was something wrong with the relationship.

"But then why wouldn't she take me? …No offense, Daddy."

"Well, we wanted it to be fair."

And yet another mistake was uttered. It wasn't fair that the mother was deprived of her son, unless there was another son involved.

"…I'm sorry for lying," Kousei said. But it was already done. Kouji had already figured it out, and proceeded to walk off to his room.

Kousei probably shouldn't have lied to Kouji. But it was only to protect the both of them from this moment.

-0-0-0-

_"We win half the battle when we make up our minds to take the world as we find it, including the thorns." -Orison S. Marden_


End file.
